title: Straightforward oxidation of a copper substrate produces an underwater superoleophobic mesh for oil/water separation.
abstract: A superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic Cu(OH)2-covered mesh with micro- and nanoscale hierarchical composite structures is successfully fabricated through a one-step chemical oxidation of a smooth-copper mesh. Such mesh, without any further modification, can selectively separate water from oil/water mixtures with high separation efficiency, and possess excellent stability even after 60 uses. This method provides a simple, low-cost, and scalable strategy for the purification of oily wastewater.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China).
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yuning
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yingze
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Zhongxin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
keywords: copper; oil/water separation; oxidation; superhydrophilic; underwater superoleophobic